Can't fight this feeling
by twigirl28
Summary: Bella and Edward are best friends and have recently become friends with benefits. But it's never that simple.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hope everyone enjoys. Please let me know what you think.**

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The music blared, almost vibrating with its intensity, through the room. I didn't know who was controlling the music but it was too loud. My small group of friends were the only ones here and we were all sitting in the same room. Alice Brandon and Rosalie Hale were dancing in the center of the room, a beer bottle in their hands. Emmett McCarty, Jasper Whitlock and Edward Cullen were sitting around the coffee table that was right in front of the couch that I was sitting on playing quarters. The six of us had all been friends since kindergarten, when we all ended up in the same reading group.

"Isabella Marie Swan! Get your sexy ass over here and dance with us!" Rose screamed at me.

"I need a few more drinks first." I yelled back. Emmett was now winning, or so I assumed. He was the only one who seemed happy while Edward and Jasper looked ready to tackle his ass.

"You guys suck ass!" Em said while laughing. Yep he was definitely winning. I watched Edward and Jasper smirk at each other. Emmett bounced the quarter on the table making it land perfectly in the shot glass and pointed at Jasper. "You drink." Jasper drank the shot, slamming the shot glass down. "That was three in a row, you know what that means. I get to make another rule." Emmett said happily. He'd already made two rules which I thought were hilarious. Edward and Jasper couldn't cuss. They also could'nt say drink, drank or drunk.

I watched Emmett as he thought hard about his next rule. His eyes lit up and he yelled, "I got it!" He smiled, a devious glint in his eyes. "Every time you talk," he pointed to Jasper, "Edward has to drink."

"WHAT!" Jasper yelled.

"Drink." Em said, looking at Edward.

"Wait, that's not fair." Jasper said.

"That's two Eddie boy." Em said, laughing.

"I'm not going to be able to talk at all." Jasper said.

"That's three Edward. " Em said holding up three fingers to make his point.

"Jazz man, shut the fuck up!" Edward said. Jasper finally realized what his tirade was causing Edward to do.

"Oops. Sorry man." Jasper said.

"That's four." Em said. Edward groaned loudly and then glared at Jasper.

"Shut up Jazz!" Edward yelled again.

I couldn't control the giggle that came out at their arguing. I downed the rest of my drink and went to the kitchen to fix another one. As I was looking through the fridge, I felt hands grip my hips. I immediately knew whose hands they were. I smiled before I turned around to face him. His green eyes were glassy, most likely from all the shots he was drinking. His bronze hair was even more messy than normal. Edward Cullen was gorgeous, he always had been though.

I leaned against the counter and stared up at him, waiting on him to speak.

"Whatcha doin Bella?" He slurred.

I chuckled at him and his impaired speech. "I needed another drink." I said.

Edward smirked down at me. "I know what you need and it's not a drink." He said. I glanced at the door, fearing one of our friends would walk in at any moment.

Edward and I had agreed a month ago to be friends with benefits. We were both horny one night and neither of us wanted a relationship. It seemed like the perfect solution for both of us. It had been Edwards idea to sleep together. He'd convinced me by stating that we'd known each other our entire lives and we trusted each other. At first I thought it would be awkward, but surprisingly it was'nt. It felt right somehow. After our first time together, I decided we needed rules. Edward didn't agree, but went along with them anyways.

1. This will not ruin our friendship.

This was a major one for me. Edwards friendship meant everything to me and I didn't want to lose it.

2. Just sex.

I didn't want him to think that I was going to become clingy. He'd looked at me like I was crazy but didn't say anything.

3. No one finds out.

He definitely didn't like this rule, but I told him that if our friends found out they would make a big deal about it. They wouldn't agree with what we were doing. The last rule made Edward roll his eyes and sigh deeply.

4. Either of us can back out at anytime with no hard feelings.

He'd reluctantly agreed and we hadn't talked about the rules again.

I put my hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him back some. He looked hurt at my rebuff, but quickly changed the expression on his face to a smile.

"Let's get out of here." He said.

"We cant silly. If we leave at the same time they might suspect something. Besides the plan was for everyone to stay here because we've all been drinking." I said.

"Ughh! I want you so bad." he said as he downed his head and began kissing my neck. He bit down lightly on my sensitive skin and then ran his tongue over the same spot. My arms wrapped around his neck before I realized it. He lifted his head from my neck and kissed me hungrily on the lips, his tongue immediately invading my mouth. His right hand trailed down my side, stopping at the top of my jeans. He trailed his index finger along my skin from hip bone to hip bone, causing shivers to run through my body. He took that same finger and dipped it inside my pants. I knew we needed to stop this, and apparently it was going to be me. Edward was too intoxicated to think clearly.

It took all my strength to pull back from him. "Edward, we have to stop." I said firmly. He stopped what he was doing, but didn't move away. He placed his forehead gently against min, sighing deeply. "Yeah, your probably right." he said.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to those that have read. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. WARNING: Lemon in this chapter. **

**Please review and let me know what you think.  
**

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Chapter 2

I was sprawled across Edwards bed on my stomach, flipping through my notes for our bio class. Edward was laying beside me looking through the science book. We'd been studying for two hours now and I was not feeling confident about this mid-term. Edward, however, had always been good at science and didn't seem to be struggling at all.

"Oh my God!" I slammed the notebook shut, "When am I ever going to need to know the different phases of mitosis? Anaphase, prophase, who the hell cares!" I ranted as I rolled over to my back, staring up at the ceiling. Edward chuckled beside me.

"You're over thinking everything Bella." He said. "You probably wont ever need to know it again, but you need to know it now for this test." He said.

I turned my head towards him, watching him. "Cant I just copy your answers?" I teased. Well I was only partly teasing. I was beginning to feel desperate and if Edward offered, I might take him up on it.

"Umm, no." He said while laughing. "I have faith in you. I know you can pass this. Just stop stressing.' He smiled when I rolled my eyes at him. "You need to take your mind off this for a little while." He said.

"Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?" I asked knowing very well what he was planning.

He moved so that he was on top of me. Wiggling his body to place his self between my legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "My parents wont be home for a while, and I know exactly how to help you." He said while leaning down. He kissed me lightly at first, teasing me. I opened my mouth and ran my tongue across his bottom lip. He hummed his approval and opened his mouth to me. Our kissing became heated, hands roaming. Somewhere in my lust induced brain, I heard our books hit the floor with a thud. As Edward pulled my shirt over my head, I didn't even care about studying anymore. He sat up on his knees and reached behind his head, grabbing the back of his shirt to pull it over his head. I never got tired at looking at or touching Edwards abs. His body was magnificent.

Still sitting on his knees between my parted legs, he pulled me up by my hands. He reached behind me and unclasped my pink bra. I laid back down, pulling him with me, my bra still hanging from my shoulders. Edward began kissing my neck, running his tongue over sensitive areas. His hands were busy taking my bra off my shoulders. He kissed down to my breast, licking my nipple before fully taking it into his mouth.

I tangled my fingers in his hair and groaned at the wonderful sensations he was making me feel. Edward suddenly stood up, making me whimper from the loss of contact. I leaned up on my elbows and looked at him. "What are you doing?' I asked. He smirked at me and started taking his pants and boxer briefs off, his eyes never leaving mine.

I loved the sight of a completely naked Edward. He didn't give me long to look before he climbed back on the bed and took my pants and panties off. He kissed the inside of my knee and continued up until he reached my center. He gave it one lick, causing me to gasp at the way his warm, wet tongue felt on me. He continued up my body, kissing and licking me all over, until he reached my mouth. I looked into his eyes, seeing lust and something else I couldn't identity. I didn't have time to think about it before he entered me hard and fast, making my eyes roll back at how wonderful it felt. He didn't slow his pace and I wasn't about to complain. I wrapped my legs around his sexy ass and dug my nails in his back. Edward groaned loudly. I could feel the tingling beginning in my stomach.

"Oh God...Edward!" I screamed as I came undone beneath him. It only took a few more strokes before I felt Edwards body stiffen on top of me.

"Shit...Bella." He moaned into my shoulder.

After our breathing returned to normal, he lifted up and placed chaste kisses all over my face. He rolled off me, pulling me with him so I was laying on his chest.

"Did that help you sweetheart? He asked. I laughed, because that most definitely helped.

"Ehh...it was alright." I said. Edward moved so fast, I didn't even realize it until he was on top of me, his fingers digging into my sides.

"Just alright?" He said while tickling me.

"STOP! I give." I said through my laughter. This was definitely better than studying.

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Saturday afternoon found me in Port Angles with Alice and Rose. We'd decided that we needed a girls day out. We had lunch at a small café that, in my opinion, served the best sandwiches I had ever tasted. We were now walking down the main street and ducking into stores that caught our attention. The movie that Alice "just had to see" wasn't playing until 3:00pm, so we had time to kill.

"Oh, let's go into this one." Rose said, pulling me and Alice behind her into the store. "I want those shoes in the window." She said.

We walked over to the shoes and I checked my phone, while Rose tried them on. I had one new message form Edward.

_How attached 2 Emmett r u? ~ E_

I laughed loudly, causing Alice and Rose to look at me like I was crazy. "Sorry, funny joke on Facebook." I said lamely. I typed a quick text back.

_Whats he done now? ~B_

He replied almost instantly.

_Playing pool. He's winning...and driving us crzy. ~E_

_LoL! Gotta love Em. ~B_

"Bella!?" Alice yelled. I jumped, my head snapping up. Alice and Rose were staring at me curiously.

"What?" I asked.

"We called your name five times. What are you doing?" Rose asked me.

"Checking in with my dad." I lied. "You know how protective he is." This was true of Charlie. Being the chief of police made him more alert to dangerous situations.

"Oh, well we were asking what you thought of these shoes?" Rose said.

I looked down at her feet, placing my phone back in my pocket. The shoes were three-inch heels with an open toe and blood-red. They were cute and sexy, but I could'nt imagine where she would wear them to.

"I like them, but when are you ever going to have a chance to wear them Rose?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and slipped the heels off. "For you information, I have a date next Friday night." She stated.

"With who? And why are we just now hearing about this?" Alice asked, swatting Rose on the ass.

"I just met him Thursday at that business dinner my mom and dad made me go to. His name is Royce King, he's the son of my dads client and he's super cute." Rose said. "The only problem is that he has a friend, Riley Biers, and Royce wants to double. I told him I would find a friend to go with me. So..." Rose looked at me.

"No, no, no. I'm not going on a blind date Rose." I said frantically.

"Oh come on Bella. You need to get out more and besides when's the last time you had a date?" Rose said.

I looked at Alice for help, but she was giving me the same look as Rose. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to go on a date. I was happy with my life just the way it was. I had my friends and I had my "special" relationship with Edward.

"One date Bells. What do you have to lose?" Alice said, finally voicing her opinion on the subject.

I cut my eyes at her and started bouncing my foot, like that was going to help me figure a way out of this.

"Look if you don't do it for yourself, which you should, can you at least do it for me? I really like this guy." Rose pleaded.

"You barely know him Rose." I pointed out. She gave me her best puppy dog eyes and I knew I was going to cave. "Ughh! Fine. One date." I yelled in frustration, throwing my hands in the air.

"Yes! Thank you, thank you." Rose squealed, running to hug me.

I had a feeling this date was not going to go well.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to those that are giving this story a chance. I have some family issues coming up, so I wont be able to post a chapter next week. Which is why I'm posting chapter 3 early. I hope everyone enjoys.**

**Oh and be patient with Bella. She's young and just doenst get it sometimes lol.  
**

Chapter 3

Alice, Rose and I walked into Roses house Saturday night. I was tired from our girls day out and plopped down on the couch. Alice and Rose were still full of energy, making me feel lazy and really out of shape. We were waiting on the guys to get here, so we could draw names for secret Santa. It was something we did every year, on the second week of December. We could only spend $25.00 on whoever's name we drew and because of this, I always hoped to get one of the guys. There was'nt much you could buy Alice and Rose for $25.00.

"I'm going to call Royce and let him know we are on for Friday." Rose said excitedly. I tried to smile at her, not wanting to ruin her happiness, but I was not happy at all.

Alice glanced down at her watch. "Ok, the guys should be here any minute and I still have to get our names wrote down and cut out. I probably need to make snacks as well." She said. "Rose do you have anything?"

"Yeah theres popcorn." Rose said while walking into the kitchen.

I laid my head on the back of the couch, closing my eyes. I could feel a headache coming on. The front door opens and Emmett bursts through it loudly.

"Wheres daddies hoes!?" He yells jokingly. Even though its extremely offensive, I cant help but to laugh at him. I know he doesn't mean anything by his comment other than being silly.

Alice pokes her head out of the kitchen, a huge bowl of popcorn in one hand and a salt shaker in the other. "Shut up Em." She said sternly, but I can see a slight smile on her face.

"Oh! Popcorn!" Emmett said, sounding like a child as he rushes to the kitchen.

"Damn Em you just ate." Jasper tells him, following him to the kitchen.

Edward sits next to me and places his hand on my thigh. "You ok sweetheart?" He asks me. My heart stutters in my chest at his term of endearment. It's not the first time he's called me sweetheart but the more he does it the more I love hearing it.

"Yeah, just tired and I have a bit of a headache." I answer.

I watch as Edward glances around quickly before leaning in and kissing my lips. "I missed you today." He whispers.

I stare up at him confused. Missed me? Does he mean he missed me how one would miss a friend they haven't seen in a while? Maybe, but that doesn't make sense because we see each other all the time. Before I have time to ask him what he means, Emmett, Jasper and Alice come back into the living room. Edward removes his hand from my thigh and I instantly miss it being there. Jasper sits down in a chair beside the couch and Alice sits in his lap. Emmett sits on the other side of me on the couch.

"Wheres Rosie?" Em asks. He's the only one who calls her that. And the only one she will let call her that. I've always thought those two were hot for each other, but they're both hard-headed.

"She'll be out here in a sec, she's making a phone call." Alice said, smirking at me and winking. I really want to throw something at her.

Alice asks Jasper about his guys day and Emmet jumps in, telling her how he "spanked" them at pool. I feel Edward lean close to me and his warm breath is next to my ear. "What was with the winking?" He asks me.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." I said. He gave me a curious look but let it drop.

A few minutes later, Rose came bouncing into the living room. "Ok Bells, it's all set. Friday night at 6:00pm. They will pick us up from here." She said.

"Wait, what's going on? You and Bella going to a party without us?" Emmett asked. He was grinning from ear to ear at the thought of a party.

"No, you moron. For your information, me and Bella are going on a double date Friday night with Royce King and Riley Biers." She said.

Emmett's face went white and his smile disappeared. I felt Edward stiffen beside me and I looked at him to make sure he was ok. He had his hand on his forehead and his eyes were closed. His face looked pained.

"Hey, you ok?" I asked him, touching his arm to get his attention.

"No. Not really." He said, still holding his head. "Lets just get this over with so I can go. I feel like I'm going to be sick."

He did look pale and I was worried he might be coming down with something. "Alright guys, let's do this." I said while sitting up straighter.

Alice climbed off Jaspers lap and grabbed the small bowl holding our names. She took one and started passing it around. Edward and Emmett were quiet. When it was my turn, I stuck my hand in and said a silent prayer that I picked one of the guys. I held the small paper in my hand and gave the bowl to Edward. There was only one paper left and he snatched it out and stuck it in his pocket, standing up abruptly. "I'm going guys." He said. We usually all waited until we had our names and then looked at them at the same time. Edward was in such a hurry that he wasnt sticking around for that part.

"Hope you feel better man." Jasper said. Everybody else said the same things as he walked out the door without even looking at me. I know he wasn't feeling well so I tried not to let it hurt me.

"Ok, everybody has a name and remember, don't spend no more than $25.00." Alice said.

At the same time, we all opened the small folded paper in our hands and read the name we had. Mine said Jasper. I sighed in relief. I knew the perfect gift for him and he was always easy to buy for. I saw Rose glance quickly at Emmett, giving away who she'd gotten. I almost laughed out loud. These two really needed to get it together and just tell each other how they felt.

I stayed another hour before telling everyone I was going home. Truthfully I wanted to check on Edward. I got in my truck and stated it up. Pulling out the driveway, I called Edward. It went straight to his voice mail. I tried once more and got the same recording. Figuring that he'd probably went home and went to bed, I drove home. I would go check on him tomorrow after he got a good nights rest.

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Late that night, I laid in bed, unable to sleep. I kept tossing and turning. Sleep was just not coming to me. A soft tapping noise had me sitting straight up in bed. I was seconds away from yelling for my gun-toting father. I looked over at my window and saw a shadow sitting on the branch. I recognized the wild hair, sticking up in every direction.

I climbed out of bed and went over to the window, opening it up to let Edward in. He climbed in with ease, hardly making any noise. "Are you crazy? Your sick Edward, you should be at home in bed getting rest." I scolded him.

Edward walked past me and started pacing in front of my bed. "Edward whats wrong?" I was really starting to worry about him. He continued pacing, ignoring me. I sat down on my bed, waiting on him to tell me what the hell was going on.

He suddenly stopped walking and sat down beside be, looking at me intensely. "Are you really going on a date?" he asked me.

"Yeah. I promised Rose I would."

Edward gave me a strange look. "Why did you promise her?" he asked me.

I explained to him what happened at the store earlier that day. I told him how Rose had begged me to go on this date and that I didn't want to go, but I was doing it for her. Edward didn't look happy.

"Lets just tell them Bella." he said.

"Tell them what? That we decided to start fucking? That we're not in a relationship but love having sex with no strings attached? You know they wouldn't understand or agree with it." I said.

Edward looked shocked. "Is that all I am to you, a fuck?"

"NO! Of course not Edward. Your my best friend, you know that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded." I said, touching his hand so he would know I meant it.

He downed his head and mumbled something I couldn't hear. It almost sounded like "tired of that damn word" but I couldn't be sure.

He finally looked up at me and smiled. I could tell it was forced because it didn't reach his eyes. "Just for Rose." He said.

"For Rose." I stated. I stood up and went to my door, locking it before walking back to Edward and straddling him. His hands went straight to my hips, holding me tightly. He laid his head down on my chest. I ran my fingers through his thick, soft hair. He laid us down on my bed, with me still on top of him.

We stayed like this for a few hours. He didn't try to do anything more than hold me and if I were being honest with myself, I didn't mind at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I really appreciate the reviews. I wasnt planning on posting another chapter so soon, but here you go. I hope everyone enjoys.**

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**Chapter 4**

"What about these?" Rose asked me. I'm trying to find the right pair of earrings to go with this ridiculous dress and shoes Alice and Rose have put me in. The dress is impossibly short and the shoes are too high. At least I was getting a choice about the earrings. It was a small victory, but a victory none the less. I was just ready for this night to be over. After Edward left my house a few nights ago, he hadn't been back. We hadn't really talked either, unless we were around friends. I'm beginning to think he's avoiding me, but because I can't get him alone and he's always conveniently busy when I call, I havent been able to ask him about it.

"Those are fine." I said, taking them from her and putting them on. I checked myself in the mirror in Roses room. On the outside I looked ready for a night of fun, but on the inside, I just wanted to go home and, if I'm being honest, I wanted to be with Edward.

"Rose! Bella! Thier here." Roses mom yelled from downstairs.

Rose did a girly jump on her heels and clapped her hands excitedly.

"You ready?" She asked me.

"As I'll ever be." I replied. We walked out her room and started down the stairs. Alice had left thirty minutes ago to meet the guys at a local pool hall. I really wished I was with them right now.

When we reached the bottom, Rose rushed over to Royce and hugged him. Beside him was, who I assumed to be Riley. I had to admit he was cute. He was no Edward, but really no one compared to Edward.

I walked forward, standing beside Rose and in front of Riley. "Riley this is Bella Swan, Bella this is Riley." Rose said. I stuck my hand out, but Riley had other ideas. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me. I was already giving him strikes in my head. This was strike one. I hated people who hugged when they didn't know you. I pulled away and gave him a tight smile.

"You ladies ready to go?" Royce asked. We nodded and grabbed our sweaters. I walked beside Riley to the car. He put his hand on the small of my back. This was strike two. It wasn't that I resented people touching me and, yes technically he was my date, but the gesture felt possessive and that bothered me. Edward was the only other person to ever lead me like this and I enjoyed when he did it.

Once we were in the car and on the road I asked, "Where are we going?"

Riley leaned over, unnecessarily, and whispered in my ear, "Dinner at this amazing restaurant in PA and then maybe a movie." His breath sent shivers down my back and not in a good way. Any time Edward whispered in my ear it felt wonderful.

The rest of the night went horrible, at least from my point of view. Dinner was filled with Riley constantly talking about his self. I don't even have Rose to help the conversation because her and Royce are in their own bubble. I realize two things. First, Riley is obsessed with himself and secondly, Royce tends to be rude and controlling. He orders for Rose without asking her opinion and flirts with the waitress. Rose ignores all this. I want to throw my water in his face. At one point Rose gets up to go to the restroom and he pulls her back down and tells her she can go before we leave. I'm so angry with him that I "accidentally" cross my legs a little to quickly and kick him under the table, making sure my sharp heel digs into his leg. It's really his fault anyways. When we first arrived at the restaurant , he said he didn't want "us girls" to sit across from each other because we would be chatting with each other all night. Whatever the hell that meant. I kick him twice more for good measure and because it makes me happy.

Dinner goes so bad, that when we walk out the restaurant , Royce is practically limping by this point, I tell everyone I'm not feeling well and will call someone to come get me. Rose insists they take me home, much to Royce's annoyance. Riley continues to tell me his whole life story on the way home, never asking me how I'm feeling.

When we pull up in front my house, I all but leap out the damn car. Rose hugs me and says she'll call me tomorrow. Riley insists on walking me to the door, no matter how much I tell him not to.

"I had a really good time tonight Bella." Riley said when we reach my door.

I smile and nod. I can't bring myself to lie. I pull the keys out and unlock the front door. Riley is still standing there looking at me expectantly. I stare at him, wondering what it's going to take to make him leave. He leans down suddenly, not giving me time to react and kisses me.

The kiss doesn't last more than a few seconds and I pull away, say good-night and walk in the house. I lock the door behind me and go straight to the bathroom to wash the disgusting feeling from me.

The hot shower helped me feel better. I dry off and put my bathrobe on. I always get dressed in my room. I walk into my room and let out a yelp. Edward is sitting at the foot of my bed, his head hanging down. His hair is standing on end, sticking out all over his head. It looked like he'd been pulling at it.

"You scared the shit out of me." I said, my hand over my heart. He glances up at me and looks me up and down, noticing I only have on my robe. I walk to him, standing between his legs and placing my hands on his shoulders.

"Hey? You ok?" I ask softly.

He sighs deeply and places his hands on my hips, his long fingers are on top of my ass and his thumbs are rubbing small circles on my hip bones. "I am now." He says.

I move to sit down beside him and lean in to kiss him. I'd missed him so much tonight. We kiss for a few seconds, but I can tell he is holding back on me. I run my tongue across his bottom lip and he pulls away.

"Whats wrong?" I ask him.

Edward looks ways, glancing all around my room, a room he knows just as good as his own. When he looks back at me, his eyes are serious.

"Did you enjoy the date?" He asks.

I roll my eyes and throw myself down on the bed. "No! It was horrible." I say, looking at Edward. He visibly relaxes beside me. He gives me his signature crooked smile and lays down beside me.

"Really? That bad huh? Tell me what happened." He says.

We lay beside each other while I tell him the events of the night. He calls Riley a douche when I mention he only talked about his self. He is worried about Rose and angry with how Royce was treating her. He laughs and says "that's my girl" when I mention I got a few good kicks in under the table. When I get to the end of the night I tell him Riley walked me to the door even when I told him not to. Edward stiffens beside me. Before I can finish my story, he jumps off the bed and turns to me. He is furious.

"Did he kiss you?" He asks harshly.

I feel like lying, he is that angry, but I have never lied to Edward. "Yes." I say.

He starts pacing, running his hands through his hair. After a few seconds he stops walking and, without looking at me, he asks in a low pained voice, "did you kiss him back?"

I was quiet for a minute. I wasnt sure if anyone could consider what I did as kissing him back. I let him kiss me, but not long and I was the one to pull away. "Only for a second and I pulled away." I say.

Edward squeezes his eyes shut tightly and begins rubbing his forehead. "Are you going to see him again?" He asks quietly.

"Hell no!" I say loudly.

He's quiet, but finally sighs and opens his eyes. He comes back to the bed. He lays down on top of me and kisses me roughly. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He sits up and unties my belt, opening my robe. My nipples are already hard from anticipation of what is to come. My heart is racing in my chest.

He runs his hand down the valley between my breasts, all the way down to my naval. He is watching his hand intently. I pull on his shirt letting him know I want it off.

"I think from now on, if we are going to do this," he sucks my nipple into his warm wet mouth, making me gasp and raise my upper body off the bed in an attempt to get closer, "or this," he says as he runs his hand down my body to my clit, rubbing it with his thumb, making me moan loudly, "we shouldn't see other people. No more dates even if it's for a friend." He continues to manipulate my clit, but adds two fingers to my opening, moving them in and out slowly and steadily. I am a withering, moaning mess beneath him. "If you can't agree to that then we need to stop doing this." He says, still working my body.

I couldn't focus on anything except what his magic fingers are doing to me. I must have taken to long to answer, because he pulls his hand away, causing me to groan in protest.

"Bella? Do you agree?" He asks me.

"YES! YES!" I yell. He slams his mouth down on mine, kissing me hungrily.

He finishes taking my robe off and he strips down faster than I have ever seen him do before. He climbs on top of me and looks deep in my eyes as he slams into me.

"Oh God!" I yell. Thank God my dad was working the night shift tonight.

Edward pulls my hands up above my head, holding them there. He keeps up a fast pace the whole time.

"Tell me your mine Bella!" He says, breathing hard.

My eyes are rolling back in my head and I am finding it hard to form a thought much less words.

"Say it! Your mine! Say it Bella!" He yells.

"I'm yours." I moan.

"Just mine."

"All yours!" I scream as I come.

Edwards thrusts become erratic. "All mine." He says quietly as he comes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone. So I worked really hard on this chapter and I'm still not entirely happy with it. I have wrote and rewrote this sucker so many times and eventually got it close to how I wanted it to be. I hope everyone enjoys. **

**I know Bella will annoy most of you in this chapter, but dont worry. It want be much longer before these two get their heads out their asses. **

**Please review!**

* * *

Chapter 5

"Can we PLEASE do presents now?" Emmett asked for the hundredth time. He was like a child on Christmas morning. He even had the pitiful look going on. It would've been amusing if he wasn't driving us all crazy.

"Jeez Emmett, why are you in such a hurry?" Rose asked him, rolling her eyes.

We were all sitting around in Edwards basement, our gifts piled up on the table that was down there. Our Christmas vacation from school had just started and tonight was our last chance for all of us to be together for a while. Although Alice, Rose and Emmett would still be here, me, Edward and Jasper were leaving to be with family. I always went to Florida with my mom and her husband Phil. My grandmother was also in Florida. Charlie and I would celebrate Christmas in the morning before my flight. Edward was also headed to the east coast, to Boston. Most all of his family still lived there. He would leave with his parents early in the morning. Jasper's grandmother and uncle were in Texas. I was going to miss my friends, but most of all, I was going to miss Edward. Every since he "claimed" me as his, we had spent a lot more time together. It felt like things were changing between us, I just wasn't sure what that meant or if I was ready.

I glanced at Edward, who was sitting next to me. He was watching Emmett and Rose argue, a small smile on his face. His arm was thrown across the back of the couch behind my head. Everytime I leaned back I could feel his arm on the back of my neck. This was another thing that had recently changed between us, he was more openly affectionate with me, and I didn't try to stop him. We didn't kiss or hold hands, but he seemed to sit closer and he touched me more. If our friends noticed, they never said anything. Although I wasn't sure Em and Rose noticed anything, but each other. My attention was drawn back to their arguing when I saw an object go flying across the room.

"OW!" Emmett yelled, glaring at Rose. "What the hell?!"

"Can we please not do this on Christmas guys?" Alice said, rubbing her temples.

"He called me a snobby bitch." Rose said in her defense.

"Well if the shoe fits." Em mumbled.

Rose glared at him and picked up a magazine she'd been reading and went to throw it at him. Alice snatched it from her.

"You sit here," Alice said pointing at Rose, "and you sit way over there." She pointed at Em. "If you two are going to act like children, I'm going to treat you as such."

Edward and I were giggling at the scene in front of us. It was always entertaining to watch tiny Alice take control. What was even more funny was that people actually listened to her. Tiny or not, Alice could be scary when she wanted to be.

The basement door opened and Jasper walked through holding a gift.

"Sorry I'm late guys. I had some last-minute packing to do." He said as he kissed Alice on the lips.

"Jazz, I've told you repeatedly, you never leave packing to the last-minute." Alice scolded him.

"Yes dear." He said, placing his gift down on the table with the rest. He sat down beside Emmett and looked back and forth between Rose and Emmett. "What's up with these two?" He asked. I had to admit, they did look comical. They both had their arms crossed firmly over their chests and both looked as if they were pouting.

"They are not allowed to talk unless they can behave." Alice said matter of fact.

"Uhh, ok. I'm sure I don't want to know." Jasper said, trying to hide a smile.

"Alright guys, let's do presents." Alice said.

Alice walked to the table and picked up her gift. She always gave her gift first because we went in alphabetical order. We watched with rapt attention to see who she was going to give that gift to. She walked to Rose and handed her the gift. "Merry Christmas!" She said. Rose opened the present and pulled out a bottle of body spray. " I hope you like it. It's vanilla scent from bath and body works." Alice said.

"I love it Al. Thank you." Rose said.

I was next. My gift was to Jasper. I'd gotten him a book on the civil war. He loved history, but he was always talking about that particular war. Edward bought Emmett a hat with his favorite team on it. Emmett gave Alice a CD of a new band that she'd been going on about for a while. Jasper gave Edward a pair of sunglasses. He'd recently lost his. Rose was last and I knew she'd picked me. She handed me a small, flat box. Inside was a gift certificate to my favorite book store for $25.00, which was the max amount of money we were allowed to spend.

"Rose, thank you." I said. I truly loved my gift. I adored books.

"Your welcome Bells." She said smiling.

We stayed a little longer, talking about the holiday coming up and what we planned to do. Jasper and Alice were the first to leave. They wanted time alone before he left in the morning. Emmett left next, with Rose not far behind him.

I stayed behind with the excuse of helping Edward clean up our mess. We threw all the trash away and took the dishes, we'd had snacks in, upstairs to the kitchen. I turned away from the sink and caught Edward staring at me, a wistful look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked when he just continued to stare at me. He walked towards me slowly and when he was close enough, he took my hand in his.

"Come with me, I have something for you." He said quietly.

I let him lead me to his room, neither of us saying anything. I wasnt sure what he had for me, but I knew he wasnt talking about sex, because his parents were home and asleep just a few doors from his. I sat on his bed and watched him walk to his desk. He opened the drawer, but with his back to me I couldn't see what he pulled out. He stood by his desk with his back to me for a few seconds before turning and walking to me. He placed a small box in my hand. It was wrapped in shiny silver Christmas paper.

"Wha...What is this?" I asked, nervously. We never gave each other gifts unless we picked one another's names.

"It's your Christmas present. Open it." He said.

With shaking hands, I tore the paper off and opened the box. My breath caught in my throat when I saw what was inside. It was a gold necklace with a beautiful charm in the shape of an antique key.

"Edward I...It's beautiful." I said looking up at him. He smiled and took the box from me. He took the necklace out and moved behind me to put it on me. When he had it clasped, he leaned down and kissed my neck, causing a wonderful shiver to run through my body.

"I'm glad you like it sweetheart." He whispered close to my ear.

"Oh Edward, I love it. Thank you." I turned around and threw my arms around his neck. I placed kisses all over his face, while he held me tight and was chuckling at my excitement. A sudden thought made me pull back abruptly.

"I feel horrible! I didn't get you anything." I said.

Edward smiled sweetly and kissed me deeply. When he pulled away he put his forehead to mine, his eyes still closed.

"Silly girl," he said, "you are my gift. The only thing I want for Christmas is you."

"Well you already have me." I said.

Edwards head snapped up and his eyes were excited. " You mean it?" He asked me.

"Of course." I said confused. "You've always had me Edward. You know that. We will always be friends and always be a part of each others lives." I said. A part of me knew that I wanted more, but I was scared.

Edward's face fell slightly. "Yeah you're right."I stared at him, wondering if he was feeling the same as I did. Was he beginning to feel more for me too? Did he want more? I wanted to ask, but fear of his answers held me back.

Edward stood up from the bed and said, "I still have some more packing to do before the morning."

I felt like I was being dismissed. I was hurt, but I tried to cover it up with a smile. "Yeah me to." I said as I stood up. "Thank you again for my beautiful gift." I reached up and hugged him.

"Your welcome." He kissed me before releasing me. "I'll walk you down." He said.

"Nah, don't worry about it. You pack." I walked to his door, but turned before I walked out. "Call me when you get a free minute over the holidays." He nodded his head yes and I left.

As I lay in bed later that night, I played with the key charm on my necklace, and thought about how my feelings for him were changing.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to all of you that are reading and reviewing. You have all been so sweet. This chapter was really hard to write, only because my neighbor has been in his yard hammering for days. All day and NIGHT. I dont even know what the man has to hammer. It's so bad that my kids have started talking in the same pattern as the hammering (not on purpose). So if it takes a while for me to udate...I'm in jail. Will someone bail me out? lol**

**WARNING: LEMON**

**Remember to please be patient with Edward and Bella. They are two stupid teenagers. I promise a HEA ;)**

Chapter 6

Christmas vacation is over and, though I'm happy to be home, a part of me wishes I was still on the beaches of Florida. Spending time with mom and Phil was wonderful, even my normally cranky grandmother was pleasant this visit. Of course I missed my dad and my home and friends. I was happy to be back, but now there was no avoiding Edward. I would have to face him today. I missed him like crazy, but he hadn't spoken to me the entire break. No phone call or not even a text to say hi. I had even tried to call and text him, but he never returned my calls or messages. To make matters worse, I found out from Alice that Edward had called Emmett a few time. This made me believe he was simply avoiding me and only me. So of course my mind went crazy with all the what if's. What if he changed his mind about our arrangement? What if he met someone? What if he was mad at me? See, I was going crazy, and now I was only minutes away from seeing him.

I walked into the school and immediately my eyes landed on Edward standing at his locker. I walked towards him until I was standing just inches from him. He turned to me and went back to facing his locker. He didn't further acknowledge me. I stood there watching him take books out of his locker, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Edward, are you ok?"

"Yep." He said, agitation clear in his voice.

"Are we ok?" I asked, not sure I wanted to know the answer.

He glanced briefly at me before turning away from me again. He slammed his locker shut with more force than necessary, causing me to jump, and slung his book bag over his shoulder. He finally, fully faced me. "We're fine Bella. I have to get to class." With that he walked away.

I was left standing in the middle of the hallway, stunned and hurt by his abruptness. He may have said he was ok, but I knew better than that.

* * *

I walked through the crowded lunch room. It was loud with chatter from the students, and making my head hurt worse than it already did. I grabbed an apple and found Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmett already sitting at our usual table. There was no Edward. I wondered if he was going to skip lunch. Was he really going to go that far to avoid me? I sat down next to Em, who was chowing down on the school lunch like he was eating food from a five-star restraraunt. Disgusting!

"Bella, we were just talking about our vacations. How was yours darling?" Jasper asked me. I smiled at him sweetly. Any time he went home to Texas, he came back with his accent in full swing and threw around the "darlings".

"It was awesome. I forgot how much I missed the sunshine." I said while looking around for Edward. "Jasper, how was your trip?"

"Wonderful! Thanks for asking darlin." He said.

"Arent you going to ask me Bells?" Emmett asked me.

"Nope." I said, trying to hide my smile. I already knew about his vacation. Rose had bitched non-stop about him every time I talked to her and Alice had complained about both Rose and Emmett.

"How rude!" Emmett said, causing us all to crack up in laughter.

"I'm sorry Em, but I already heard about your vacation from Rose and Alice."

Emmett smirked at Rose. "So Rosie, you've been talking bout me eh?"

"Only how annoying you are Emmy." Rose deadpanned.

Emmett's face dropped and he glared at her. Without taking his eyes from Rose he said to me, "You know Bella, I didn't spend all my time with these two. I actually had some wild, hot dates."

Before I could process what was happening, Rose jumped up and threw her water in Emmet's face, getting me wet in the process. Rose stormed out the cafeteria , not bothering to look back.

"Damn it Emmett! Whats your problem?" Alice asked him. "How could you provoke her after everything that happened over break?" She said. Emmett looked ashamed and didn't say anything. I was getting the feeling that I was missing something.

"What happened?" I asked at the same time Jasper said, "Whats going on?"

Emmet's head finally came up and looked at Alice, a pleading look in his eyes.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything. I just thought those two had grown up some. Guess I was wrong." Alice said.

I didn't believe her at all, but I didn't have time to question her because my left arm was soaked with water. "I'll see you guys later, I've got to go dry off."

As I walked down the hallway to the bathrooms, I saw Edward leaning against the wall a few feet from the boys bathroom.

"Edward, what are you doing out here?" I asked when I was close enough to him.

"Not hungry." He said shortly.

I tried to lighten the mood between us. "Well you sure missed a show in there," I pointed to the lunchroom, "Rose threw water all over Em and unfortunately, me." I said, holding out my wet arm, my long sleeve shirt was soaked.

He glanced down at my arm and looked away. "That sucks."

Ok I was done being nice to him. "What the fuck is your problem?" I said angrily. "And don't give me that bullshit "I'm fine" answer." I said.

"What do you want me to say then? I told you I was fine. Cant I just have a bad day?" He was getting mad, well good because I was pissed to.

"Oh please! Its more than you having a bad day and you know it. You didn't contact me at all during break. Hell, you couldn't even be bothered to return my calls or texts." I yelled.

"I was busy." He said. I was so angry I wanted to hit something, or him.

"Busy?" I stared hard at him. "What you really mean is that you were to busy for me."

He looked confused, "What are you talking about?"

"Well you weren't to busy for our friends. Just me. I know you talked to them." I said.

Edward ran his hand through his hair, a sign that he was either angry or something was bothering him. We glared at each other, neither of us wanting to be the first to look away.

Edwards shoulders slumped in defeat. "What do you want from me Bella?"

Hurt and still angry, I pointed my finger in the center of his hard chest. "Fuck you Cullen, I don't want anything." I lied as I walked away.

* * *

I sat in the middle of my bed in a tank top and boy shorts, my hair still wet from my shower. I didn't have anything to help keep my mind off Edward. Charlie was at work and after the debacle at lunch today, I didn't feel like hearing about the drama from Rose or Alice. Hell I had enough drama in my life with Edward.

I still didn't know what was going through his head and I was worried. If only I had someone to talk to about all this. I laid down on my bed and covered up. I might as well try to get some sleep. If I was sleeping then I wouldn't have to think anymore.

Just as I was dozing off, I heard a light tapping on my window. I shot straight up in bed and looked at my window. Edward was sitting on the branch. The angry part of me wanted to leave his ass out there in the cold, but my heart wouldn't let me do that. I walked slowly to the window to let him in. Hey, just because I didn't want him to freeze, didn't mean I had to rush to him.

I popped the latch on the window and upped it, walking back to my bed before he came through. I sat in the middle of the bed and watched Edward as he came towards me and sat down on the bed with me. I didn't plan on being the one to speak first, I didn't feel like I should. We sat like that for what felt like hours.

"Bella, I'm really sorry about today. I've got a lot on my mind right now and I was taking it out on you." He said, looking up at me through his lashes.

"What about vacation? You didnt call me or return my calls. I feel like you were avoiding me." I already knew I was going to forgive him, because well lets face it, this is Edward and I can't stay mad at him for long.

"I really was busy most of the time, but you were right, I was avoiding you a little." I waited for him to elaborate more, but he didn't.

"Why? Did I do something?"

"No. It's me. Look I promise when the time is right and I get my head straight, you will be the first person I tell everything to, but for now can we just be us again?" He said.

"Ok. As long as you know that I'm always here for you Edward." I said. We stared at each other and then I smiled. "I missed you."

He gave me his sexy crooked smile and said, "I missed you to sweetheart."

We leaned in and put our fore-heads together, his breath fanned across my face. I reached up and put my hands behind his head and neck. He tilted his head and brought his lips to mine. Butterflies started to swirl in my stomach. It felt like it had been forever since we were like this. I crawled into his lap while deepening the kiss, our tongues tasting each other. Edward splayed his hand on the back of my thigh right below my ass and his other hand went up my shirt. He squeezed my breast making me moan as he flicked my nipple with his thumb. I pressed my wet center down on his hard cock and we both groaned at the sensation. Edward picked me up and laid us both down on my bed with him on top of me. He undressed me, which didn't take long because I wasnt wearing much and I watched as he took his clothes off.

He climbed back on the bed, sitting on his knees between my legs. He ran his hands all over my body. "So beautiful." He whispered. I wasnt sure if he was talking to me or to himself, but his words made my heart beat faster than it already was. I reached up and ran my hand across his chest, much the same as he was doing to me.

"I want you Edward, please." I said. He looked at me with so much emotion in his eyes that it took my breath away. He grabbed my hips and slid inside my warm, wet heat. Edward moved up and down, back and forth. He knew how to create that perfect friction that drove me crazy. I never had to tell him what I wanted, because he already knew. He moved slow but steady, his eyes never leaving mine.

Edward must have sensed that I was close, because he sped up his thrusts. My moans were becoming ridiculous with how loud they were, but this seemed to spur Edward on more. I felt the pressure building in my body. "Oh God! Edward! Oh Edward!" I screamed as my orgasm washed over my body. Wave after wave of pleasure hitting me. A few seconds later Edward came with a grunt. I felt his cock pulsing inside me. He laid his head down on my chest and I wrapped my arms around him as we came down from the incredible high.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Since I'm so far ahead with chapters, I decided to post this early. I just finished writing chapter 11 and this story is only going to have 14 chapters and then an epi. So I'm almost done writing it. Yay!. I hope everyone enjoys and please review.**

**Chapter 7**

The past month had been awesome. Edward and I were getting along great and although nothing had seemed to change between us, it felt like there was a shift in our relationship. We didn't speak of it, but it was definitely there. It was almost as if we were a couple. At least that's how I felt most of the time, and I like the way if felt. I knew I was falling for my best friend and it was the best feeling in the world. Still, a part of me, a really big part of me, was scared shitless. After watching the demise of my parents relationship, I was terrified. I didn't want to lose my friend if things didn't work out between us. My parents couldn't even be in the same room with each other. The one time they attempted, had been a birthday party for me. It was awkward and extremely uncomfortable and that was just for me, I can't imagine how hard it was for them. I never had another party with both of them again and frankly, I was ok with that. I'm not stupid, I know not every relationship ends like my parents did, but there's always that "what if". Honestly, I'm just a big coward.

I reach up and play with the necklace around my neck that I always wear. I run the key charm back and forth on the gold chain while I watch Edward laugh and joke with our friends. God, hes gorgeous! I want to jump him right her in the middle of the diner. My imagination starts to run wild as I picture throwing him down on this wobbly table and licking his perfect chest, my tongue traveling all the way down to his huge perfect coc...

"Bella!" Rose yells as she slams her hand down on the table in front of me.

"What?" I'm a little irritated at her for interrupting my day-dream.

"Alice and I were talking about Valentines day. What's your plans?" She asks me. Truthfully I hadn't given much thought to Valentines day. I sneak a glance at Edward and notice he is watching me.

"Uhh...I really havent thought about it. What are you guys doing?" I ask in an attempt to get the focus off of me.

"Jazz and I are going to seattle for the night. I'm not sure what all he has planned once we get there," she looks at Jasper and slaps his leg playfully, "he wont tell me, he just keeps saying that it's a surprise."

"Arent you two just so cute." Rose says while sticking her finger down her throat and pretending to gag. I laugh at her antics.

"What's wrong Rose? You jealous?" Jasper asks her. She rolls her eyes at him and turns back to me.

"Let's double again Bella." Rose says. I feel Edward stiffen beside me.

"Umm..No. It was horrible the last time and I'm never doing that again. Besides, why do you need me?" I ask her. I notice that Edward is being really quiet through all this, but he is very much paying attention to the conversation.

"I don't NEED you, but I just thought it would be fun for us to go out together again. I mean, neither of us have a boyfriend or plans. I don't want to sit home alone on Valentines day, that's for losers." She says.

Before I could respond, Edward finally speaks up. "Actually Rose, Bella and I already have plans that day." The whole table turns to stare at Edward. They look at him like he's grown another head right in front their eyes. It would be funny if I wasnt wondering what the hell he is doing. "We decided that we would hang out on that night since we didn't have plans with anyone else, so you're gonna have to either find a date without Bella or sit home alone." He says confidently. His voice leaves no room for discussion and nobody questions him.

"Ughh! Fine." Rose says. I watch her look at Emmett like she's waiting on something, but she never says anything.

Thankfully the conversation gets turned to colleges. Now this I can handle. We talk about where we have applied and what our dream college is. Of course Jasper wants to go back to Texas and Alice plans to follow him, if she can. I don't really agree with this, but I keep my mouth shut. Alice and I have argued about this enough in the past. I believe she needs to do what's best for her. Her dream is to get into fashion and New York is the best place for her to become a part of that world. She claims that there are colleges in Texas that offer great fashion programs and she would rather be where ever Jazz is. Rose has always said since she was a little girl that she was going to New York when she graduated highschool and that hasn't changed. She still fully intends on going there. Emmett wants to head to California, which is no big surprise to me. He's all about fun and California just seems like the perfect fit for him.

"Where do you want to go Bella?" Emmett asks me. I glance around the table, knowing that my answer is going to shock them. I always said I would never leave Washington, I never wanted to be far from my dad. I could never imagine leaving the man who raised me all be himself while my mother ran off and did her own thing. Over the years though I realized that I wanted to leave home, if only for a little while. My main goal was to see what else was out there, but ultimately I would return to Washington.

"I actually have applied to a few colleges in Arizona." I say, waiting on the response I knew was coming.

"Arizona! Why?" Rose asks.

"Because I want to get out of the state for a little while. It's not terribly far away from my dad, but far enough that it will be nothing like here." I say. Everyone was speechless and I felt nervous under their scrutiny.

"What about you Edward?" Alice asks.

"I don't know where I want to go." He says.

"Oh come on. You've had to given it some thought." Jasper says.

"Umm...not really."

"Well where have you applied?" Rose asks him.

Edward begins to shift in his seat. "Kinda all over. I'm not picky." He says uncomfortable.

It's clear that for some reason he doesn't want to talk about it, so Emmett and Jasper change the topic to football. And that's where they lose me. I tell them I'm going to the bathroom and get up from the table.

When I'm done handling my business in the bathroom, I wash my hands and walk out. Edward is standing by the door and he pulls me to him, at the same time pushing me against the wall. I'm not worried about anyone seeing us, because the bathrooms are positioned at the back of the diner. He secures me to him with his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. I wrap my arms around his neck, laughing at his eagerness.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

I couldn't wait any longer to touch you. It was driving me crazy, sitting next to you and not being able to reach over and feel you." He said, his voice husky with desire. My insides turn to mush at his words. I felt the same way. Sitting beside him and not being able to freely touch him was torture.

"Mmm...I feel the same way." I say as I take the initiative and reach up to kiss him. He returns my kiss with passion, making my body tingle with want. God I don't think I will ever get tired of Edward.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This is a short chapter, but the next one is long. Enjoy. Please review.**

Chapter 8

"I said no Rose." I was putting my shoes on, getting ready to head to Edwards. Rose was giving her last attempt to get me to go out with her tonight. She was starting to sound desperate.

"But Bella," She whined. "If I go to Royce's house and Riley's there, it will be awkward."

"So what. I don't get those two. Don't they ever do anything by their selves? I mean come on Rose you have to admit their situation is weird." I said. I walked to my truck and climbed inside, cradling my cell phone between my shoulder and cheek. I turned the ignition on and blasted the heat. I wouldn't drive and talk on the phone, being the police chief's daughter instilled a sense of right and wrong into my head.

"Fine." Rose huffed into the phone.

"Look, I'm leaving now to go to Edward's, so I need to go, but why don't you go to Emmett's tonight. I don't think he had any plans either."

"Ungh! Whatever! No way am I going over there. He's been acting like a total dick lately." She said.

"You know, you guys used to be friends. What happened Rose?" I knew something had started changing between them before Christmas break, but after break it had only gotten worse. Alice was still being very secretive about what ever went down while me, Edward and Jasper were gone.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Hey, you better go and I'm going to find something to do. Be careful and I'll talk to you later." Rose rambled. We said bye and hung up. I sat in my truck and stared at the phone. Something definitely happened, the question was what. I didn't feel like thinking about it tonight, but soon I was going to make Alice or Rose tell me.

* * *

"Are you ok?" Edward asked me as tears ran down my face.

"Ye...yes." I said, crying like a baby. Titanic always made me cry like this, no matter how many time I'd seen it.

"I knew it was a bad idea to let you pick the movie." Edward said smiling at me. I cut my eyes at him.

"Whatever. My choice was better than anything you would have chosen." I said.

"Nah. I wanted to watch Saw again and that's a classic." He said. I looked at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. I hated those movies and would only watch them at Halloween, when it was appropriate to be scared.

"Edward, we can't watch movies like that on this day." I said. "Today is the most romantic day of the year. We have to watch cheesy movies about love."

Edward watched me closely, it seemed as if he was studying me, looking for an answer to whatever question was going on inside that beautiful head of his. He finally looked away and asked me, "do you want to watch another movie?" What I really wanted to do was take him upstairs and fuck him silly, but him mom was home tonight. Esme and Carlisle were supposed to go out on their own Valentines day date, but Carlisle got called in to the hospital at the last-minute for an emergency surgery. I felt bad for them, and at the same time was disappointed for me and Edward. We'd planned this night, thinking we would be alone and now there would be no sex for us.

"Yeah. I'm not ready to go home yet. You pick this time." I said.

"Edward walked over to the large shelf by the t.v that held all their dvds. He studied the titles for a few minutes and finally pulled one out popping it into the dvd player. He came back to the couch and I cuddled into his side. He wrapped his arm around me, holding me tightly. As the movie started, I realized he'd put in the The Notebook, my all time favorite movie.

"Edward, we can watch something else. I want you to enjoy the movie to." I said, feeling guilty.

He smiled sweetly at me and said, "I want to watch this with you. So be quiet and lets watch."

I turned back to the t.v and watched the actors on the screen, but I couldn't focus on them. All I could think about was how wonderful Edward was to me. He always thought about me, my concerns were his and he was always there for me. I glanced up at him, the light from the movie flickering across his handsome face. Edward was everything to me. He was my best friend, my protector, my biggest fan and my lover. I realized sitting there wrapped up in his arms, that I was truly head over heels in love with him. The funny thing was that I didn't know what to do with this revelation.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hello everyone. I just wanted to let everyone know that there are only two more chapters left and then the Epi. It want be long now. I'm currently working on the Epi.  
**

**Hope you all enjoy. Please review!**

**Chapter 9**

I knocked on Edward's front door and waited for someone to answer. Esme opened it, a big smile on her face. "Bella, come in." I walked in and hugged her. "You're the first to arrive sweety. Edward is in his room if you want to go on up." Esme told me. I thanked her and walked up to his room. The whole gang was going to the movies tonight. The guys had picked the movie so I was sure it was going to either be an action flick or a scary movie. I could car less about either type of movie, but I probably wouldn't pay much attention anyway. It's been a month since I realized I was in love with Edward and I still hadn't figured out how to handle it. I'd come close so many times to telling Edward how I felt, but fear held me back each time. Yes, I'm a huge coward.

I walked into Edwards room and found him sitting on his bed, looking through his phone. He didn't realize I'd walked in yet. I dropped my bag on the floor, alerting him to my presence. "Hey gorg..." He started, but I didn't give him the chance to finish. I walked with purpose over to him and straddled his lap, crushing my lips against his. I kissed him deeply, running my fingers through his hair and grinding myself against him causing us both to moan. Edward didn't waste any time responding to my attack. He grabbed my hips roughly and pushed me down on his growing erection. Obviously wanting to be in control, he flips me over and pushed his erection into me urgently. My eyes roll back in my head as he hits just the right spot. He begins kissing down my neck, allowing us a chance to breathe, one hand still on my hip and the other starts to go under my shirt. Just as he reaches my breast, we hear voices in the hallway, making us jump apart. We straighten our clothes, trying to calm our breathing down at the same time. I look over at Edward and we smile slyly at each other.

Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett walk in the room, Rose and Em arguing playfully. I hope they don't fight tonight, because I want to enjoy the night out with my friends and their arguing is getting really old. "Hey guys, you ready to go?" Rose asks brightly. Well at least she's in a good mood, hopefully it stays that way.

I jump up off the bed and say, "Yep! Let's go."

We stand outside for a few minutes, trying to figure out who's riding with who, because none of us have a vehicle large enough to fit us all. Alice, tired of the delay, decides that Edward, me and Rose will ride together and her and Emmett will ride with Jasper. This strategy is to keep Rose and Emmett separated so that we can all have a night without their bickering. However, Rose and Emmett don't seem to like this idea. Rose says she will ride with Emmett and the rest of us can ride together. We stare at her shocked, but she simply smiles at us and walks to Em's car and hops in as if she didn't just stun the shit out of us.

"Alright Alice, what the fuck is going on with those two?" Edward asks once we are on our way to the theater.

"What? How would I know?" She asks innocently. We all know she's so full of shit.

"Well you know something...there was that comment you made about Christmas break." I said, reminding her of her slip right after we'd come back from the holiday break.

"I don't know what you're talking about Bella." She says, giving me a look that says, "shut up". I let it drop and decide to enjoy the ride with Edward smashed by my side. Jasper's car is small, not allowing us much room in the back seat. I didn't mind though.

* * *

"I have to go to the restroom, can you get me a soda?" I asked Edward, giving him my best puppy dog face. The line was hellish long and I desperately needed to use the bathroom.

He smiled down at me, "Yes. You know I can't say no to that face. You want anything else?" He asks.

"No. I'll share some of your popcorn." I winked at him. He gave me a sexy crooked smile that made my stomach flutter.

I tried to hand him a five dollar bill but he waved me off. I went to the bathroom and handled my business. As I was washing my hands Alice came in and stood beside me, watching me intently. I laughed at her. "Umm...your freaking me out Al. I've never had somebody watch me wash my hands before. I know you're a control freak, but this is kinda going overboard with it." I said.

"Ha Ha!" She laughs sarcastically. "Ok, I have to tell you this because I'm getting ready to pop! I've never kept a secret this long and that has to count for something right? I mean, they couldn't expect me to keep it locked away forever. I just can't do it anymore Bella. Yes, they are two of my best friends, but this is like fucking huge and I just cant keep it to myself any longer. I have to tell someone." Alice rambled.

"Whoa! Al, take a breath. What's wrong? You have me worried now." I tell her, starting to panic.

Alice looks around the bathroom, checking under stalls to make sure we were alone. Hell I knew we were alone, everybody else was standing in the damn concession stand line. Alice, seeing that we had the bathroom to ourselves, walks over really close to me, her face just inches from mine. If someone walked in, they would think we were kissing.

"I walked in on Rose and Emmett having sex. OH God I feel so much better having said that!" Alice says loudly. My mouth is hanging open. I'm so shocked that all I can do is stand there and stare at her as she goes on. "Bella you don't know how long I've wanted to tell someone. I feel like a weight has been lifted off me. Jeez I feel so much better." She turns to me. "You ready to go watch the movie now?" I still can't form a sentence. Alice takes my silence for a yes, I assume because she starts walking for the door.

"Wait!" I yell, finally finding my voice. "You cannot drop a bomb on me like that and then just walk away without explaining." I say.

"I'm sorry, I just had to get if off my chest." Alice says.

"What happened over break? Damn, we were only gone for two weeks." I say. Alice comes back to stand in front of me and begins to explain.

"I was supposed to meet Rose and Emmett at Rose's house one Friday night. We were going to go bowling or something, you know we were bored. I was running late because I had to help my mom and I called Rose and explained what was going on. She told me that her and Em would wait on me. I was rushing because lets face it, Rose and Em alone with no one to break up their arguing was a disaster waiting to happen. So I get to her house a little sooner than I expected. When I get there, I walk in because that's what Rose told me to do. Her parents were gone that night. I didn't see anyone around, so I went to her room and I could hear noises. I swear Bella, I thought they were fighting again. I didn't really stop to listen and went into her room without knocking and..." Alice takes a breath, "What I saw will haunt me forever." She says.

"What? What Al?" I ask, totally engrossed in her story.

"Rose and Em naked as the day they were born and Rose was riding him like she was a cowgirl."

"Oh God! Ok I admit I wanted to know what you saw, but I didn't want a visual." I say.

"Well you did ask."

"Yeah, now I wish I hadn't." I say, trying desperately to get the image out of my head. "I cant believe they had sex. They hate one another."

"Yeah I know, but believe me, I know what I saw and they were definitely doing the nasty." Alice says.

I stood there in shock. It wasn't that they had slept together that shocked the shit out of me, ok well maybe it was a little, but it was more that, I'd never met two people that argued more than they did. They were constantly at each others throats. It hadn't always been that way, just over the past few years.

"How long has it been going on?" I wondered aloud.

"Apparently it just started over break and they've been off and on since. I mean what do they think their doing." Alice says.

"What do you mean?" I ask confused. I thought it was pretty obvious what they were doing. They were fucking each other, secretly. Their situation was much like mine and Edwards."Well, how can they sleep together and expect to not ruin their friendship? They are asking for trouble. Think about it Bella, if it goes wrong between them it's going to be awkward for not only them, but us as well."

I hadn't thought about it like that. I knew that if things didn't work out for me and Edward that it would be weird for us, but I'd never thought about our friends. I could see Alice's point though. Would they feel like they had to choose sides between us? Would they choose? And if they did, that would leave one of us out in the cold, friendless. But Alice and Jasper did it, they made it work.

"Alice, you and Jasper don't seem worried about breaking up." I told, her. I needed her to reassure me, even if she didn't know what was going on in my life right now.

"Yeah, but we are different. Jazz and I have been together for a long time and we are both fully committed to one another."

"Your being a hypocrite. You don't know that Rose and Em wouldn't be committed to each other." I tell her, feeling the need to defend Rose and Em, whose relationship was much like mine and Edwards.

"Your right Bella. I'm sorry. I must sound like a horrible friend right now. Who knows maybe it will work out. I just don't see it. They will literally be on opposite sides of the country in five months when we go to college, but maybe they will make it work." Alice checked her hair in the mirror and turned her back to me. "We've been in here forever, they're going to wonder what happened."

We walk out to find Jasper and Edward waiting on us. "Did y'all fall in?" Jasper asks, laughing.

"Ha ha Jazz, very funny." Alice says. "We were just having some girl talk."

"Well it must have been some good gossip. Rose and Em went in already." Edward says.

By the time we walk in, there was only a few seats left. It was already dark and I couldn't see anything. I grabbed the back of Edward's shirt and let him guide me. Jasper and Alice were in front of us, and they found seats first, but it was only two seats. I had no clue where Rose and Em were. Edward kept walking, telling Jazz we would catch up with them after the movie. Edward managed to find us some seats close to the back.

As the movie played in front of me, all I could think about was what Alice had said in the bathroom. In a few months we'd all be scattered, going to college in different states. Some of us would be thousands of miles apart. I didn't know where Edward was planning on going yet, but I was sure he would be far away from me. I had finally realized my feelings for my best friend. I was finally in love and now I was going to lose it all. I wanted to cry, but I held it back. I'd been trying to find the right way to tell Edward how I felt and now I wondered if there was any point to it. What if I found the courage to tell him how I felt and he felt the same way? Would it hurt us more to admit our feelings for each other and then have to leave for college? Could we make a long distance relationship work? I didn't think so. People always thought distance didn't matter, but I didn't believe that. I didn't know what I was going to do now.

"Hey. You ok beautiful?" Edwards whispers close to my ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lie, because I don't know if I am ok.

Edward leans down and kisses my cheek softly making my heart flutter with how sweet he is. He puts his arm around my shoulders and I snuggle up next to him and try to block out Alice's words. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but right now I have Edward and he's all mine.

* * *

Oh my God! I jumped up and down in front of the mailbox. I couldn't care less if our neighbors thought I was crazy. Being careful not to trip, I ran into the house and snatched my cell phone off the kitchen table. I scrolled through my recent call list until I found the number I was looking for and hit send. "Come one, pick up please." I said to myself. I was so excited, I was about to burst and I desperately needed to tell someone.

"Hey sexy." Edward answered.

"I got in! I was accepted!" I screamed into the phone.

"Uhh...that's great sweetheart." He said, confusion clear in his voice. "Accepted to what?"

"Ugg! Edward we talked about this months ago. Arizona State. I just got my acceptance letter in the mail."

"Oh. That is awesome. I knew you could do it Bells. I never doubted you for a second." He says, making my heart swell with even more love than I already felt for him.

"Thank you. By the way have you checked your mail yet? Maybe you have an acceptance letter and then you can finally stop being so cryptic and tell us where your going." I say. Edward had stayed firm on avoiding the topic of his college of choice. Hell he wouldn't even tell us where he'd applied. For all I knew he could have sent applications to Alaska. No matter who asked him, he would always change the subject. I'd let him get away with this because I figured he didn't want to jinx his chances. Some people were like that, although I'd never known Edward to be superstitious, but college was a big deal and getting rejected could be a blow to any ones self-esteem, especially if everyone knew you'd been rejected.

"Umm...yeah I checked it and nothing came. So is your dad working the night shift tonight?" See changing the subject. I let him do it like I always do.

"Yeah, working til 2am. You coming over?"

"Yep. I'll see you tonight." We hang up and I call Charlie, Renee and then Alice and Rose. Mom and dad are thrilled for me, but both wonder why I've chosen Arizona. I pull an Edward and change the subject. Alice and Rose are happy for me, but neither have gotten anything in their mail yet.

For the rest of the day I'm walking on cloud nine. I never really thought I would get in. I mean my grades have always been excellent, but most colleges want you to have a ton of extracurricular activities and I've never had any.

As I take a shower, to get ready for Edwards arrival, I begin to come down off my acceptance high. I think about what this means for me and Edward. Are we going to be torn apart in a few months? My chest feels tight with sadness as I think about not seeing him on a regular basis.

* * *

Edward and I are laying on my bed making out. His hand is up my shirt, my hands are in his hair. I break the kiss to sit up and take my shirt off to give him better access. His eyes are glued to my chest as I pull it over my head and toss it somewhere across the room. I start kissing him again, pushing my tongue back into his mouth. He rolls us over so that he's on top of me and his hands are everywhere on my body.

"Mmmm, Edward please." I beg him. I want him right now. He takes my nipple in his mouth, biting it. I swear I almost come right then. My back arches off the bed and I moan loudly.

Edward rises up on his forearms, looking at me with a serious expression on his face. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop?" I ask, my voice sounding desperate even to my ears.

He sighs loudly and brushes the hair out of my face. "We need to talk before we go any further." He says.

"Ok." Is all I can manage to say. His tone of voice has me worried not to mention anytime a person tells you "we need to talk" it's usually never good.

"I've given it a lot of thought and I want us to go public with our relationship."

"You want everyone to know we are having sex?" I ask him.

"No. I want everyone to know we are together."

I'm stunned. I stare at him, my mouth hanging open. It's everything I wanted him to say, well almost everything. Alice's words about Rose and Emmett keep running through my mind like a tape on repeat.

"Edward I don't know if that's such a good idea." I tell him. Do I want to be with him? Yes. Am I in love with him? Yes. But I'm scared and Alice unknowingly made my fear worse. "Can we think about it first before we make a decision?" I ask him. I'm not saying absolutely no, but I need time to process this.

"No." Edward says sternly.

Ok, that was the last thing I expected him to say. I sit up and pull the sheet against my chest, suddenly needing to cover myself. "No? Edward I'm not saying that I don't want to tell them, I'm just asking for some time to think about all this. It's a really big deal." I explain.

"I'm done waiting Bella. Either we tell them tomorrow or we don't do this anymore."

My heart drops to my stomach. He's giving me an ultimatium and I hate those. I feel like I'm being controlled and pressured and I don't do well with that.

"Edward, are you giving me a ultimatuim?" Please say no. Please say no.

He looks me in the eyes and very calmly says, "Yes. That's exactly what I'm doing Bella."

Now I'm getting pissed on top of feeling hurt. All I'm asking for is a little time. He wants to go public with "us", but I don't even know what we are. He hasn't said he loves me, he hasn't said what I am to him. Are we dating? Is that what he wants from me. There are so many unanswered questions and now he's not giving me the time to figure it out before he starts putting demands on me.

I say the first thing that comes to my mind and I know I'm saying it mostly out of anger. I feel like I'm being pushed, so I push back. "Well then if I have to answer right now then my answer is no. I don't want to tell everyone Edward." I watch his face twist in pain and I immediately want to take back my words. Pride keeps my mouth shut tightly.

Edward stands up and looks down on me. He kisses me on the fore head before walking to my door. I sit there not sure if what happened was real. Getting up, I walk to the window in time to see him opening his car door. He looks up at my window and we stare at one another. He's the first to break eye contact as he climbs in his car and leaves. I lay down on my bed and cry. What did I just do?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ok so theres only one more chapter after this one and then the Epi. As for the review I got the other day about this story line being done before...I didnt realize that. They also told me that my Edward and Bella would "bang" other ppl. I promise that wont happen, but this chapter and the next one will have some jealousy. Just a little bit. I want to thank those that are reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me. As for those that (and it's only been one so far) have nothing but negative comments to make, well all I can say is go read something else. Theres over a hundred thousand stories on fanfiction, I'm sure you can find something. **

**Ok enough of my rambling. Enjoy and review!**

**Chapter 10**

Rose, Alice and I are laying on Alice's bed, gossiping about people we know at school. Acceptance letters have come in at full force and we are talking about how shocked we are about who got in where. Alice got her acceptance to Texas. Her and Jasper couldn't be more happy. Rose was accepted to NYU, but she doesn't seem to be as happy about it as she once was.

"Jess was crying in the girls bathroom yesterday because she got turned down from Yell." Rose was saying. "Pshh! Like she ever had a chance."

"I could have told her she wasnt getting in there and saved her the trouble of filling out all those papers." I say.

"Guys come on, she is heart-broken about that. It's not funny." Alice says trying not to smile. We aren't usually this cruel, but Jessica had made our school years a living hell.

"Does anyone know if the guys got in where they wanted?" I ask. I feel like a rotten friend for not asking before now. My mind has been focused on trying to not think about Edward. It's not working. We haven't spoken in two weeks and if our friends have noticed, they haven't said anything. I guess on the outside Edward and I don't really act much different. Well we don't talk like we used to and we typically avoid direct conversation with each other, but we still laugh and joke with our friends. For me, it's just an act, because I'm dying on the inside. I want to scream that I've made a huge mistake. I want to tell him that I love him so very much and I take back everything I said. We can tell our friends about us, hell we can tell the world as long as I have him back.

"Well I already told you Jasper's going to Texas, but I heard this morning that Em is definitely going to California. As for Edward, well he's still being tight-lipped about where he's going, so who the hell knows." Alice says.

"Yeah what's his deal anyways? Nobody knows where he's going to college and he's acting so strange about it. Annnd...I heard a rumor today in my last period class that blew me the fuck away!" Rose says, suddenly sitting up on the bed.

"WHAT!"Alice and I say at the same time, intrigued by a juicy piece of gossip.

"God, I can't believe I forgot to tell you guys. Ok so Jazz and I are sitting in Mr. Berty's class passing notes back and forth when I hear Lauren behind us talking about Edward. I don't usually pay that stupid bitch any mind, but both Jazz and I are fully listening when she says Edward Cullen."

"Who was she talking to?" Alice asks.

"Eric Yorkie. From what I could gather from the conversation Eric was thinking about asking Jessica to the prom, but Lauren said not to bother because Jessica was already going with Edward." Rose says. Alice gasps in shock.

My mouth is hanging open and I'm speechless. My heart feels like it's stopped beating in my chest. I know I have no right to stake a claim on him, but I feel hurt and betrayed by this news. If Alice and Rose weren't here I would burst into tears, but I hold myself together praying this is a huge misunderstanding. Edward hates Jessica and he always has.

"No way! Rose are you sure you heard right?" Alice asks. She obviously can't imagine it just like I can't.

"Yes I heard right. Jazz heard it to Alice. Now whether it's true...I don't know. Jazz said he was going to ask Edward about it later so I guess we will find out for sure tomorrow at school."

"Screw that! I'm asking Jazz tonight when he calls me. You know I wont be able to wait that long." Alice says.

'It's probably a lie. Jessica's last attempt to get Edward's attention before we graduate." I say. I must keep telling myself this.

I notice Rose watching me with what looks like sympathy in her eyes, but the conversation gets changed and the look is gone. I must have imagined it.

* * *

The next day at school has me on pins and needles. Alice and Rose both tried calling me last night, but I was scared to answer. I figured they'd found out the truth about the Edward and Jessica rumor and I wanted to play ignorant just a little longer. I'd somehow managed to avoid my friends all day, but it was now lunch time and unless I planned on not eating, there was now way to avoid them any longer.

I walked into the cafeteria and went through the lunch line. I grabbed an apple and a lemonade. Mike Newton was in front of me, but thankfully hadn't noticed me yet. One more person I'd been avoiding today. He'd been asking me all week if I'd go to prom with him. I was out of nice ways to turn him down. Before he saw me, I paid for my food and drink and made a mad dash to the table. Everybody, including Edward was already there. There was only one available seat left and it was beside Edward. I couldn't believe my luck. So as not to alert anyone to my inner turmoil, I didn't hesitate to sit next to him. He looked at me briefly and I could swear that I saw emotion flicker in his eyes.

While opening my drink, I felt a kick under the table. I looked up at Rose and Emmett who happened to be sitting across from me. Rose was looking at me with wide eyes and she was mouthing something to me. I shook my head, letting her knew that I had no clue what she was trying to say. After a few more minutes she gave up and mouthed "later" to me. I shrugged my shoulders and took a big bite out of my apple.

"Edward dude, I heard a rumor about you." Emmett said.

"What?"

"A little birdy told me you are taking Jessica Stanely to prom. So it ain't so man."

"A little birdy huh?" Edward says as he looks over at Jasper pointedly.

I nearly choke on my apple, coughing and wheezing. Edward turns to me and pats me on the back, the only physical contact we've had in weeks and I can't even enjoy it because I'm going to die by apple.

"She asked me. What was I supposed to say? I didn't have anyone else I wanted to go with that would go with me and I didn't want to go alone, so I figured why not." Edward explains. I wanted to tell him that, had he asked me I would have went, but I also knew that it was entirely my fault he hadn't asked me.

Though I knew I had created this problem, I couldn't help feeling pissed. "You should have went with Bella. She doesn't have a date either." Rose said. Great, now I'm the pathetic friend who has no date. Well fuck that!

Before I can think about the words I'm getting ready to say, they just pop out of my mouth. "That's not true Rose. I have a date." I lie.

Rose looks shocked, but it's Alice who speaks up. "Who?"

Oh shit. Who? Who am I going to say. I glance briefly around the lunch room and find my date. "Mike Newton." I say and stand up.

"Where are you going?" Rose asks me.

"You just reminded me I need to solidify my plans with Mike. I'll see you guys later." I say and start to walk away. I risk a look behind me at Edward and wish I hadn't. He's staring at me and he looks hurt. I've made a mess out of all this and I don't know how to fix it. The really fucked up part is I just keep digging my hole deeper and deeper.

* * *

"What about this one?" Alice asks me. Rose, Alice and I are in Port Angles shopping for prom dresses. Well actually, they are shopping, I'm just kinda sitting here staring off into space. I don't really like to shop, but this was so much worse. Looking for a dress to an event that I was dreading going to. It wasn't only the fact that I'd opened my big mouth and agreed to go with Mike, but now I had to watch Edward and Jessica have a blast together. Yeah, I really didn't want to go. I suddenly wondered if I could somehow manage to fall and sprain my ankle, then nobody would fault me for not going.

"I think she should wear this one." Rose says, holding up a beautiful powder blue silk dress. It went around the back of the neck with hardly any back to it. The front had a plunging neck line. I definitely couldn't wear a bra with it, but I had to admit it was gorgeous. Though I wasn't sure I wanted to waste the effort on Mike.

"Ohhh, your right Rose. I love that one. Bella this would look beautiful on you." Alice says.

Ok, I give up. I would take the damn dress if it meant we could be done and go. I plastered on a fake smile. "I love that one. I'll take it." I said, standing up and taking the dress from Rose.

"Wait! Bella aren't you going to try it on?" Alice asks me, her and Rose watching me like I'm insane. Shit. I thought I was home free.

"Uhh...yeah that's what I was going to do." I say trying to laugh it off. There was no need to ruin their shopping experience. I go into the changing room and start putting on the dress. I hear Alice and Rose talking just outside the room.

"Rose have you decided who you're going to prom with?" Alice asks her.

"Yeah."

I listen closer to the conversation. Rose was never usually one to hold back, which makes me curious about who she'd decided to go with.

"Well?" Alice asks.

"Emmett and I are going together." Rose says quickly.

"What?!" Alice yells.

I barely had the dress on when I hear Rose admit it was Emmett, I stumble and then trip on my shoes, falling against the wall of the changing room.

"Bella? You ok in there?" Rose asks me.

"Ummm...yeah." I hurry, finishing putting the dress on and rush out the room. "Emmett? Really? You guys are constantly fighting and act like you can't stand each other. What the hell made you want to go to prom with him? The night you've been looking forward to since 5th grade." I ramble. I'm upset. It's not fair that Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rose and Edward were happily going to our senior prom and I was stuck with Mike Newton.

I glance over at Alice, waiting on her to jump on board with me, but although she looks shocked, I can see a hint of a smile on her face. I'm so confused. Wasn't it Alice telling me she thought it was crazy for Rose and Emmett to be sleeping together and now she's all smiles about them going to prom.

"Em and I have been seeing each other for a while now. Yes we fight, but that's like foreplay to us. It's just how we are." Rose says. She looks so happy talking about Emmett, her face glowing. I want that, and I know I already had that, but I fucked it up. Rose looks at both me and Alice and says in a low voice. "I love him."

Alice squeals and jumps up and down, throwing her arms around Rose's neck. "I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah, if your happy then I'm happy for you." I say and I mean it, I really do. Rose and Emmett are two of my best friends and I want them to be happy.

"Thanks you guys. That means a lot to me." Rose smiles at us. "Alice I though you didn't agree with this?"

"I didn't at first and don't be mad, but I told Bella what happened over holiday break and she made me see I was being a hypocrite and not a very good friend. Besides lately I've watched you two closely and I've seen how you look at each other. I knew there was more between you two than just sex. And now I know I was right!"

"Does he know you love him?" I ask.

"Yes. He loves me to." Rose says, her smile becoming brighter. She notices I have the dress on and her eyes go wide. "Oh Bell. That's the dress for you. Your breathtaking!" Rose exclaims.

"Wow Bella. Rose is right. That's definitely the dress." Alice says. "Now take it off and I'll go find shoes."

When I come out the changing room a few minutes later, dress in hand, Rose is waiting on me. "Alice hasn't come back yet." Shes says quietly. She stares at me, studying me. "You can do it to, you know."

"What are you talking about? Do what?" I ask confused.

"I know how you and Edward feel about each other." She says.

"I...wh...what...I don..." I can't find the words. I'm shocked. How did she know? Why hadn't she ever said anything to me? Did that mean that everybody knew?

"I've known for a while. Like Alice said about me and Emmett, I could tell by the way you and him watched one another, the way you always stayed close to each other. So that leaves me to wonder why you and Edward are going to our senior prom with other people. What happened Bella?"

"I made a stupid mistake. He wanted to tell everyone and gave me a ultimatum. I acted like a child, wanting to show him that he couldn't push me like that. He told me we either told everybody or we stopped seeing each other. I let him walk away Rose and I've regretted it everyday." I tell her, tears forming in my eyes. Rose walks over to me and wraps me tightly in her arms.

"Oh, Bella." She says. She leans back to look me in the eyes and then she smacks me on the head.

"Oww! Rose, what the hell? I just poured my heart out to you and you hit me?" I ask.

"I love you Bells, but you're an idiot."

"Yes, I know that thank you very much." I look at Rose and we both bust out laughing. When we finally stop, I become serious again. "I fucked up Rose, and now I don't know how to fix it, or if I even can."

"You can. You just have to want to. Figure out what you want Bella and then go for it. I'm here for you no matter what you decide." I can tell she wants to say more so I wait for her to continue. "Look Bella, I know you are scared of commitment. I get it, your parents haven't exactly set a very good example for you to follow, but not every relationship turns out like theirs did sweety. You do know that right?"

"Yes. I get that, but I'm still scared." I whisper.

"I know you are. I was to, but it's wort it."

"What about college? Arent you worried about what's going to happen with him being in California and you in New York?" I ask.

"Nope. Emmett is coming to New York with me." She says smiling.

"That's awesome, but I don't think it would be that easy for me and Edward. I'm going to Arizona and who the hell knows where Edward is going."

"Bella, honey..." Rose sighs, "He told Em that he got accepted to Arizona. Don't you see. He's going to follow you." Rose says.

I feel all the air leave my body. He's going to the same college as me and he hadn't told me. He hadn't even given me a clue that he was thinking about it.

"Remember what I said. Think about what you want and then go after it." Rose says. "Now let's go find Alice before she destroys the store."

* * *

I take a deep breath as I step out of my car and walk up to Edwards door. I'm not sure I should be here, but I have to know about college. I knock on the door and wait. Edward opens it and looks surprised to see me standing there. "Hey." I say, smiling shyly.

"Hey." He says gruffly.

We stand there, staring until I can't take it anymore. "Ummm, can I come in for a minute. I need to talk to you." He doesn't answer me, but opens the door wider for me to come in.

"What is it Bella?" He asks me coldly. I'm starting to think coming here was a bad idea.

"I know about Arizona." I blurt out.

He huffs. "Why am I not surprised. It seems like lately none of our friends can keep their big mouths shut." He says.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Whats there to tell Bella? I applied to some colleges and I heard back. I got accepted to a few of them. Arizona happens to have the best program I want, end of story. Besides it's not like we've been chatty lately." He says.

"I know and I'm sorry. But no matter what Edward, I thought we would always be friends. You can tell me anything."

I watch Edward as he shoves he hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, looking down at the floor. Maybe I've finally broken through his tough exterior. "I'll always be here for you. I hope you know that." I say, wanting to say so much more, but it's so hard when he's acting like he doesn't want me here.

He finally looks at me. "I can't be your friend Bella. I don't want to be your friend."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay everybody, this is it except for the epi! I want to thank all the readers who have given me support. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

I look at my reflection in the long mirror in Rose's room. My hair is up in a french twist with a few tendrils of hair curled around my face. My dress looks beautiful, the blue accentuating my pale skin perfectly. Alice did my make up and I must say she did a fantastic job. I can honestly say I look beautiful tonight. I watch the girl in the mirror and there's no smile on her face, no happy excited light in her brown eyes. This is supposed to be the night I'll never forget and I don't even want to go.

"Everybody's down stairs Bells. It's time to go." Rose tells me. She looks at me sadly, like she knows exactly what I'm thinking and feeling. Hell maybe she does. Her and Emmett's relationship wasn't the easiest in the world.

I take a deep breath to prepare myself for this night. I turn around to face Rose, "Do I look alright?" I know what she's going to say, I've already asked ten times, but I need the reassurance before I face Edward and his date.

"Bella, your gorgeous! I promise." She smiles sweetly. "Hey look at me." She says. I look her in the eyes. "Would I let you go to the prom if I didn't think you were absolutely going to knock everyone off their feet with how beautiful you look tonight?" I laugh and nod my head in understanding. "Ok let's go girly."

We walk down the stairs and the closer I get the bigger the butterflies in my stomach feel. Why did I agree to this? Rose wanted us to all meet at her house and ride in the limo she'd ordered. It was a nice thought, but now I wasn't so sure I should have included Mike and myself in the plan. Hell I wasn't sure I should have told Mike I would go to prom with him. I felt guilty for using him to get back at Edward and to be honest, he annoyed me.

"Wow! Bella you look hot." I heard Mike say as Rose and I reached the landing. I smiled at his compliment and glanced around the room. Alice and Jasper were talking quietly by the couch and Emmett was walking up to Rose. Jessica was trying to talk to Rose, but didn't seem to be having much luck. Edward was standing by the front door as if couldn't wait to escape. I didn't blame him. Edward was wearing a black tux that looked like it was made just for him. He was so devastatingly handsome that it hurt to look at him, but I couldn't look away, and it seemed as if he was just as entranced with me. His eyes devoured me and I thought I saw desire in his eyes.

"Let's go people, the limo's here." Rose said, ushering everybody out the house.

We climbed into the limo, sitting by our dates. Fortunately I didn't have to sit by Edward and Jessica, but unfortunately I did end up sitting directly across from them. How the hell was I supposed to keep from staring at him, with him sitting right in front of me. I tried with all my might to pay attention to Mike's rambling, but I could feel Edward's eyes on me and I couldn't stop myself from looking up at him. His eyes were intense as he watched me. He didn't bother to hide the fact he was looking at me and kept staring when I caught him. We gazed into each others eyes and it was like the world fell away. It was just me and Edward, alone. My heart began beating rapidly and I wanted to lunge across the limo and throw myself at him. I'd missed him so much.

Alice gathered our attention by passing out glasses of champagne to everyone. She wanted to have a drink before we reached the prom. I could still feel Edward looking at me, but I focused on my glass and I, again tried to pay attention to Mike. It was no use though, even if all he was doing was looking at me, he always had my full attention.

* * *

The music was blasting from the speakers in the small gymnasium at our school. We had to yell to be heard. We were all on the dance floor, minus Edward who told Jessica he didn't want to dance. I'd been dancing to every fast song they played and sat out the slow ones, because I really didn't want to slow dance with Mike. I was actually having a good time, jumping around and dancing with my friends. It could only get better if Edward joined us.

When the music changed to a slow song Mike tried to grab me, but I managed to avoid him. "I need something to drink." I said, only partly lying. I really was thirsty from all the dancing. We walked to the concession table and Mike poured me some punch. He'd been great all night which was only making me feel worse for using him. I tried to discreetly scope out the room, looking for Edward. I found him sitting with Jessica, who looked to be trying to convince Edward to dance with her. He wasn't paying her any attention though. His eyes were fixed on me, like they had been most of the night.

The music stopped and the DJ came over the speakers. "All right Juniors and Seniors, last song of the night and it's going to be a slow one." He announced. Pink's 'Just give me a reason' came on.

"Bella? Why don't you ask him to dance?" Mike said to me.

I looked at him in shock. "Wh...what are you talking about?"

Mike smiled at me. "I know you wish you were here with him. I'm ok with it." Great pile on the guilt.

Before I can say anything, I feel someone lean down from behind me and whisper in my ear.

"Dance with me Bella?"

I turn around to Edward. I can't speak, but I nod letting him take my hand and guide me out to the dance floor. He wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly. I put my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder, never wanting to let go. I close my eyes and will this moment to never end.

I feel Edward kiss my cheek, his hands rubbing up and down my back. "Mike was wrong Bella." He says softly.

I look up at him, confused.

"You don't look "hot". You look stunning, beautiful, gorgeous. Hell those words don't even do you justice." He looks so sincere that it makes me want to cry.

The song was coming to an end and I didn't want it to. I wish it could go on forever. I pull him tighter to me.

"Bella, look at me sweetheart." I lift my head from his chest. "I love you. I'm in love with you and I always have been and I know that I always will be. Forever. I'm yours and no matter who you end up with you will always be my Bella."

I can feel tears running down my cheeks. I open my mouth to tell him that I love him to. That I want to be his forever, but he never gives me the chance. Just as the song ends, Edward leans down and gives me a searing kiss right there on the dance floor. For once I don't give a shit who sees or what they think. But Edward ends the kiss sooner than I would have liked. He leaves me breathless as he turns around and walks out the gym. I'm still standing in the same spot when Alice and Rose come over to me.

"Bella, let's go babe. Prom is over and we need to have girl talk." Alice says. "Let's go back to your place, ok?" I nod, still staring at the door Edward walked out of.

"Yeah, ok." I say.

* * *

Alice, Rose and I are sitting cross leg on my bed. I'm explaining everything that's been going on between me and Edward since the beginning. Rose already knows most of this, but Alice seems to be in complete shock and maybe a little hurt that I didn't come to her when it started. I tell them what Edward said to me on the dance floor. I don't have to tell them about the kiss, because according to them the whole school witnessed that.

"I can't believe he told you he was in love with you at prom. God Bella that's so romantic." Alice says, placing her hand over her heart. "Isn't it?" She asks me. I smile in agreement.

"The bigger question is, how do you feel about him?" Rose asks.

I look at my two best friends and grin like a fool. "OHHHHHH! I love him so much it hurts." I say giggling. Rose and Alice squeal, jumping on me and hugging me.

"You have to tell him!" Alice says, suddenly sitting up.

"I know that Alice and I plan on it. First thing tomorrow." I tell her.

Her and Rose look at me like I'm crazy. "No!" They say at the same time.

"You have to tell him now. Here call him." Rose says handing me my cell.

Now Alice gives Rose the same look. "Call him? Have you lost your mind Rose. She can't call him to tell him this. This is something you have to do face to face. " Alice shakes her head at us. "I must be the only smart one here." She mumbles.

"Well it's to late tonight Al. I don't want to wake up his parents. And I agree with you. I would rather do this in person, not over the phone."

"Hell climb up to his window." Rose says. Alice's eyes light up. I know I must look pale. I hate heights.

"Uhhh...thats a big hell no. I'm not climbing up to his window, I might fall." I say.

"No, she's right Bella. It's a great idea. And really it's not that far." Alice says laughing at the expression on my face. I continue shaking my head no. Alice becomes serious, she reaches over and grabs my hand. "Babe, you need tell him tonight. He was brave enough to tell you, now you need to be brave for him. The sooner he knows the better."

* * *

Worst...idea...Alice...ever...had. I think to myself as I huff with each branch I climb. I don't dare look down, I just keep looking up at his window watching it get closer slowly. I now know I could never be a thief. I'd be caught on my first attempt if I had to escape out the window of anything two stories or higher.

I finally and carefully make it to his dark window. I knew it. He was already in bed and now I had to wake him up. I situate myself on the branch so I can take one hand off to tap on the window. I tap softly three times. Nothing. I tap again a little bit louder. Still nothing. I'm starting to panic because I'm not sure I'll be able to get down if he doesn't wake up. I knock louder three more times. Finally I hear movement from inside.

Edward turns his lamp on and walks cautiously to the window. Really? Does he think I'm a robber or murderer. Would they politely knock?

"Bella?" Edward says as he recognizes me. He pulls the window up. "What the hell are you doing out here? You could have broken your neck." He chastises me as he reaches out the open window and pulls me through, and then backs away from me. I take a minute to appreciate solid ground beneath my feet again.

"Edward I needed to tell you something." I say, suddenly becoming nervous.

"Well?" He asks, waiting on me to continue when I stall. I wish he was standing closer to me. I feel like the whole room is between us when there's probably only three feet. He's watching me expectantly, his arms folded across his chest.

Well here goes nothing. "I'm in love with to Edward. I think I always have been, but I was always to scared to admit it. I've been so stupid about all this. Not wanting anyone to know, that was just so stupid of me. I thought if we didn't become a real couple then you couldn't hurt me if we didn't work out, but I realize now that because you have my heart you have the power to hurt me whether people know or not. I love you so much Edward." I take a deep breath and look up at him. He's smirking at me, but doesn't say anything. Hell he doesn't even move to stand closer to me. Ugggg! I can't take the silence. "Please say something Edward." I all but beg.

He looks away as if he's thinking, but I see the smile on his face. After only a few seconds of torturing me he walks over and places his hands on each side of my face. "I love you to Bella. I always have. It's always been you Bella. Only you." He says softly as he leans down and kisses me.

"Do you really mean it Edward?" I ask, needing to hear him say it again.

"Yep. Why do you think I'm going to the same college you are?" He asks me. When I look confused he explains. "I applied to all the colleges you did, or at least to colleges that were in the same area as you. I couldn't stand the thought of not being close to you." He says sheepishly.

I throw my arms around him and kiss him until we're both out of breath. "God I love you." I say.

"And I love you my Bella." He says smiling.

"My Edward." I say.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ok so this is it. I sooo appreciate all the reviews I got. You all gave me a confidence boost and I totally love you guys for that! I know this isn't very long, but I hope you like it anyways.**

Epilogue

A few months later...

I looked around my now bare bedroom. I cant believe this day has finally come. Edward and I had packed for the last week, preparing our move to Arizona. I didn't think I'd feel so sentimental about leaving, but now that it was my last night here, I was starting to get weepy. My entire life was spent in this room and in this town. I was definitely going to miss it.

I walk downstairs and see Charlie sitting in the recliner watching a game. Or at least that's what he's pretending to do. This last week hasn't been easy on him. Watching me pack up my things has made this finally real to him. His baby girl was grown and leaving him. I assured him that I would be back for holidays and summers, but I imagine it was still going to be hard on him.

"Well, I finally finished packing." I say. He looks at me and nods. "Dad." I sigh. "Are you going to be ok?" I ask, starting to worry.

He looks sad as he says, "I'll be fine kid, I'm just going to miss you like crazy." He says, bringing tears to my eyes. I walk over to him and sit down, taking his hand in mine.

"Dad, I think this will be a good thing for both of us. You've spent the last eighteen years wrapping your life around mine. When's the last time you did something for you?" I ask.

"That's what parents are supposed to do Bells. I've never for one moment regretted making you the center of my universe."

I smile, because I know he's telling the truth. "I know dad, but now it's time for you to start living. I want you to find someone to share your life with. I don't want you to be alone." I continue when I see he's about to object. "I want this for you dad. I'm not going to be upset or angry if you find someone, because it's what I want. Just think about it ok?"

"Yeah ok." He says leaning over and hugging me. "Dont you have plans tonight?" He asks me.

"Yep. Edward should be here any minute." I answer.

Edward and I are meeting the gang to hang out one last time before we all head off tomorrow. We're all meeting at first beach. If packing up my room was hard, I can only imagine what tonight's going to be like. I hear Edward's car as it pulls up in the driveway.

"I'll see you later dad." I say as I hug him.

"You're coming home tonight right?" He asks me.

"Umm...I havent thought about it. Do you want me to come home?" I ask.

"Doesnt matter kid, just let me know so I don't worry." He says, but I can tell that it does matter to him. I watch him closely for a second and realize that I should spend my last night here with my dad.

"I'm coming home tonight." I tell him. He shrugs his shoulders as if it didn't matter, but I see the smile on his face and know I did the right thing.

I open the door and Edward is already standing there, a smirk on his face. "Hey you." I greet him.

"Hey yourself." He leans down and kisses me sweetly. "You ready?" He asks me.

"Yep. Let's go." I say.

I follow Edward out to his car and we head to the beach, where we're meeting everybody. Edward reaches over and lays his hand on my thigh and squeezes gently.

"Hey you ok?" He asks me.

"Yeah."

"You look sad." He says.

"I'm just worried about dad and I don't want to leave everyone. I feel like I'm never going to see them again." I say. I know that I'll see my dad, but I don't want to lose everyone else.

"Baby, don't think like that. We will still see them on holidays and summers." He tells me, trying to comfort me. "Besides," he says with a smile on his face, "remember the pact Emmett made us all make last week?"

I giggle at the memory of us all sitting in Em's basement, talking about the future. It was the first night that it really hit home that we were all leaving each other. Emmett had an idea that we should make a pact that we would always call one another at least once a month. He put his hand in the middle of us, waiting on us to lay our hands on top of his. Alice was the first to put her hand in.

"And we always call on birthdays, no matter what." She said, laying her hand on top of Emmett's.

"We must visit each other at least once a year." Jasper said. His hand laying on top of Alice's.

"We'll come running if one of us needs the other." I said, tears starting to sting my eyes. I wasnt the only one. When I placed my hand on Jasper's I noticed that Rose and Alice also had tears in their eyes.

"We should be there for all the important things as well, such as weddings and having children." Edward said.

"Hell! I say, when we are done with college, we all move back to Washington and then we can all live in the same damn suburb." Rose said throwing her hand in on top of Edwards. We cracked up at her comment, but deep down inside, I think we all agreed with her.

* * *

As we sit around a fire at First Beach, I'm overcome with emotion for my friends. I watch them as they laugh and joke with one another and I can feel the tears building in my eyes. A part of me doesn't want to leave. I watch Jasper, Edward and Emmett tackle Rose to the sand. Edward and Jasper holding her down while Emmett tickles her for her "smart mouth". She fights them, but she's laughing. Alice jumps on top of the guys in an attempt to "rescue" her, but she's so small I'm not sure the guys know she's even there.

We've all grown up together, we've become family and now we are leaving. What am I going to do without them? I look at Edward, his head thrown back laughing. He finally notices Alice on his back and puts his hand behind him, throwing her to the ground beside Rose. To hold both Rose and Alice down, he lays his body on top of Rose side ways and holds Alice down with his hands. Jasper has now began to tickle Alice telling her she's being punished for trying to help the enemy.

"BELLA! HELP!" Rose and Alice scream at me. I was having fun watching, but I want to enjoy my last night with them so I stand up and rush forward, pouncing on Edward, shoving Em in the process. I manage to give Rose a few seconds of lead way while their focused on me. It's not enough though as Edward straddles me and now I'm being tickled. As we all roll around in the sand I know that I'll never have friends like this again. Nobody will ever replace these people, because they are more than friends to me, they're my family.


End file.
